The Art of Pain
by The Jasper Raven
Summary: [Sequel to "Misunderstandings and Make-Ups"] Today's Shikamaru's birthday and Temari absolutely refuses to let him sleep it away, however, Temari's idea of fun is Shikamaru's idea of Hell. [ShikaTema]


**Title: **"Shikamaru's Happy Birthday"

**Authoress: **Sasukez

**Anime: **Naruto

**Pairing: **ShikamaruxTemari

**Rating:** T For: language

**Side Pairings: **SasukexSakura, NarutoxHinata

**Occasion: **Shikamaru Nara's birthday

**Dedicated: **Shikamaru Nara

**Disclaimer: **The anime Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

**A/N: **Please enjoy this fanfic and please leave lots of reviews. This is a sequel to "Temari's Happy Birthday" and a branch story from "Could It Be." Please consider reading "Could It Be" and "Temari's Happy Birthday" before you read this story. Thank you! J

"Oh boy. What a drag."

Shikamaru sighed. Today was September 22nd a.k.a his birthday. He hadn't been looking forward to it. Usually on his birthday all he wanted to do was sleep without being disturbed. His parents usually gave him that luxury as a birthday present and he gladly accepted without a complaint. This year, Shikamaru feared things wouldn't be so relaxing. Because this year he had a girlfriend and that girlfriend happened to be a kickass, punk, rocking, extreme, can-do, will-do, skateboarding, roller lading, fan-riding, ninja girl. Okay, maybe he over exaggerated but Temari of the Sand was definitely a kickass girl that didn't take crap from anyone and did whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. And that's why Shikamaru loved her.

However, Temari had been very carefree and more open since last month. Last month on August 23rd, Shikamaru had throw a huge birthday party and she had been so much more happy since then. Before Shikamaru had thrown her that party she hadn't let anyone help her. Men came onto her and she wouldn't let him defend her even if she was against the wall. Now she gladly welcomed his help and she was a lot nicer to him than she had been. They had had a tough love relationship before that party but now it was a lot better. That's why Shikamaru had a feeling Temari wasn't going to let his birthday slip away.

As Shikamaru thought that, he saw an ever familiar face rolling towards him. He says rolling because she was on black roller blades. Speak of the devil. It was Temari dressed in a black tank-top and black shorts, each from fitting and showing her belly button. She wore black knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, and a helmet. Slung over he shoulder were dark blue roller blading gear. He had a feeling he knew who that was for. She slid to a stop in front of him.

"Hey there Handsome!" she beamed at him. "Guess what day it is."

"Monday."

"Its your birthday Silly!"

"I know that."

"Come on! Put these on!"

She threw the dark blue roller blading gear in his arms before he could reply.

"For your birthday I'm giving you the gift of education. Today I'll be teaching you how to roller blade, skateboard, water skii, surf…"

"Are you serious!?"

"Of course not! Just cave diving!"

"Stop it."

"Well I know you hate parties so I didn't know what else to do."

_You could have let me sleep._

But then Shikamaru figured this would be a good idea. He would get the spend the whole day with the girl he loved and who loved him back just as much. He could tell she loved him by the necklace she was wearing. He had given it to her for her birthday and she hadn't taken it off since. She told him once that the reason she didn't take it off was because she gave it to her and that made it special. Shikamaru finished putting on his roller blading gear and Temari took him by the hand. They bladed away to Konoha Central Park. The leaves were just starting to change colors. Yesterday was the first day of fall. A cool breeze swept past them and Shikamaru was glad he was wearing a jacket. Temari didn't seem to mind the air temperature. The couple bladed down a path and saw another couple walking from the other direction.

"Hey Hinata!" Temari called.

It was Naruto and Hinata walking towards them. The four stopped and faced each other.

"Hey Shikamaru! What up?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing," Shikamaru replied, hoping Naruto would forget it was his birthday.

"So how have you two been?" Temari asked Hinata.

"Fine thanks," Hinata answered. "You two look well too."

"Yeah, we couldn't be better!" Temari beamed. "Well sorry we can't stick around. I've still got to teach him how to skateboard."

Naruto burst out laughing.

"Shikamaru skateboard? Good luck!"

"Have fun," Hinata said before leaving with Naruto.

Now Shikamaru was puzzled. Surely Hinata would have remembered his birthday. Maybe they were plotting something.

_Oh boy._

Before he could interrogate Temari she had whisked him away.

**.:ShIkAmArU's HaPpY bIrThDaY:.**

"Ow. Ow, ow. Ow."

"Sorry. I thought you knew how to balance."

Temari's skateboarding lesson hadn't ended well.

"At least the helmet saved your skull," Temari said.

Shikamaru gave her a look. She placed an icepack on his knee. He hissed in pain. They were in his room now after a disastrous skateboarding lesson that ended with a collision with Sasuke, Sakura, and a tree.

"Sasuke's never going to forgive me."

"Don't worry! I'll protect you from the big bad emo kid."

Shikamaru cracked a smile. Temari gently helped him lay down on his bed. He sighed in relief. He'd been waiting for this all day.

"Did I ruin your birthday?" Temari asked tensely.

"Of course not. Spending the day with you, no matter how painful or embarrassing, is fine by me."

"Aw. How cute. Come here you."

Temari leaned down and gave him a kiss.

"Rest up," she told him. "You're going to need it."

"Oh boy. What now?"

Shikamaru spent the rest of the day resting his sore body and was constantly waited on by his girlfriend. At 10:00 p.m. Temari told Shikamaru to get dressed because she was taking him out somewhere. She didn't mention where. He got dressed in his black jeans, sneakers, black jacket, and white T-shirt. She dressed in her party outfit.

_Uh oh. I knew something was up._

Temari led him through the streets of Konoha until they were at Ichiraku Ramen.

"What the hell are we doing here?"

"You'll see."

A minute later, streetlights went on and the streets around Ichiraku Ramen lit up.

"SURPRISE!!"

From behind Ichiraku, all of Shikamaru's friends jumped out and screamed.

"I should have known."

"Don't look at me," Temari said. "The party was Sakura's idea. I just went along with it."

"Why?"

"Happy birthday Shikamaru!"

Sakura bounced up to him.

"Why'd you throw me a party?"

"Its your birthday! We have to celebrate. Don't you like it?"

Shikamaru didn't need to look up to see who was glaring at him. He knew the feeling of the infamous Uchiha death glare anyway. He knew it was bad enough to Sasuke that his girlfriend threw a party for another boy but if said boy said anything against her…

"I love it!" Shikamaru said quickly.

Temari giggled beside him.

"Shush you," he murmured.

The teens of Konoha wreaked havoc on the streets of Ichiraku as they celebrated Shikamaru's birthday. Shikamaru leaned against a building wall and looked up at the midnight sky.

"There you are."

Temari came and joined him.

"I've been looking all over for you. I still have to give you your birthday present."

"I thought my birthday present was being educated in the art of pain."

"That too. Here."

She gave him a cube-shaped gift. He tore off the paper.

"A rubix cube?"

Sure as hell it was a rubix cube.

"Let's see your big brain figure that out!"

"Oh fun."

"Happy birthday Slacker."

Temari pressed him against the wall and wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed passionately. What else did Temari plan on giving him for his birthday?

**Author's Review: **That sucked but then again I was in a rush. I can do better than this. Sorry for the disappointment.


End file.
